Blaming the Brain: The Truth about Drugs and Mental Health - Hardcover

Valenstein, Elliot S.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 068484964X ISBN 13: 9780684849645

Publisher: The Free Press, 1998

Synopsis

Asserting that the widely accepted current belief that most mental illness has a physiological cause is without empirical basis, a professor critically examines the role, rise in popularity, and often ineffective use, of psychoactive drugs. 20,000 first printing.

About this title

Review

David Healy, M.D., Ph.D. "Author of "The Antidepressant Era" Valenstein shows how the current theories of depression and schizophrenia arose, makes the case for them seem more persuasive than their original proponents did, but then in devastating fashion shows where their problems lie. More importantly, he goes on to show why we continue to hold such beliefs that do no good for patients, that are no longer believed by neuroscientists and that hamper the development of more effective treatments...

Andrew Herxheimer "Emberitus Fellow, United Kingdom Cochrane Centre This book does something long overdue: It puts psychotropic drugs into historical and scientific perspective without being too technical. It should help prescribers and patients work together and use these drugs more carefully.

Joseph LeDoux, Ph.D. "Author of "The Emotional Brain" Valenstein swings a heavy bat at the conceptual basis of biological psychiatry. The book will surely shock psychiatric patients and will lead to soul searching amongst psychiatrists. Biological psychiatry will come out of the controversy that's sure to emerge either badly wounded or much stronger, but will never be the same.

Jerome Kagan, Ph.D. "Author of "Nature of the Child" and Professor of Psychology, Harvard University Once again, Elliot Valenstein challenges contemporary dogma -- this time by combining a lively, informative history of the growth of psychopharmacology with a critique of its deepest assumptions. The controversy this book will surely provoke reflects the significance of its arguments. Those who are friendly to or suspicious of the claim that all mental illness is primarily a biochemical disorder will profit from this bold, clearly written book.

Michael S. Gazziniga, Ph.D. "Director, Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Dartmouth College Elliot Valenstein has provided us with a fast-moving and eye-opening account of why the brain story is but a part of the puzzle of mental illness. He has to be right.

Synopsis

A professor examines the role, rise in popularity, and often ineffective use of psychoactive drugs.

Edition details

• Publisher: The Free Press
• Publication date: 1998
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 068484964X
• ISBN 13: 9780684849645
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 292